Tap for tap dancing shoes



April 19, 1938. QA TA 2,114,461

TAP FOR TAP DANCING SHOES Filed July 15. 1936 l g 6 W1 F O Q ZjnmQ-IMCWA Cori "ado v yosiw,

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Patented Apr. 19, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Corrado Agosta and Frank Notarangelo, Bristol,

Conn.

Application July 15, 1936, Serial No. 90,807

1 Claim.

This invention relates to taps for tap dancing shoes, and the primary object thereof is to provide a tap which affords maximum protection against wear on the shoe sole.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tap which increases the sounds of the taps thereby to render same more desirable in tap dancing broadcasting.

Further, the invention aims to produce a tap which possesses the foregoing features and which at the same time is of minimum weight.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a bottom plan view of the invention as applied to the sole of a shoe;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Figs. 8 and 4 are sections on lines 33 and 44 respectively of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation.

The device is preferably made of aluminum and embodies a toe portion l and elongated side wings 2 and 3 of which the outer wing 3 is of greater length than the inner wing 2. The marginal edge of the toe portion and of the major positions of the wings conform generally to the corresponding edges of the sole, while the inner ends of the wings 4 and 5 are curved and extend inwardly toward one another and terminate at substantially the ball of the foot of the wearer. Thus a substantially semi-circular space 6 is provided at the 30 junctural point of the wings and toe portion and the latter are separated by a narrow space I which extends into space 6.

Since the greatest wear occurs on the toe portion I, the latter is thickened at 8, as depicted in 35 Fig. 3, and gradually tapers to a thin edge 9,

equally true of the wings 2 and 3 which are thickened at their outer sides and taper to a thin edge H] as shown in Fig. 4.

The tap is further formed on its upper side with a reinforcing rib H which inclines inwardly and follows the outline of the entire device. For the 5 purpose of further lightening the structure, depressed panels lZ are formed which extend across the junctural points of the toe portion and wings, as shown in Fig. 5.

By extending the wing 3, beyond wing 4, the 10 volume of sound is increased during dancing and increased protection afforded the sole and by virtue of the spaces between the wings 6 and l, the weight of the structure is materially decreased. Further by disposing the ends 4 and 5 in close relation, it will be noted that substantially the 15 width of the sole is covered and protected accordingly.

What is claimed is: i

In a tap for tap dancing shoes, a member formed to extend over the toe and ball portions of the sole of the shoe and to be connected to the latter, having a longitudinal opening extending through the rear edge thereof so as to provide a substantially U-shaped body, the walls defining 25 the opening on each side of a longitudinal line drawn centrally through the body member when viewed in plan, presenting a substantially ogee curve, and the face of the tap abutting the sole of the shoe being cupped between the outer edge of the tap and the walls defining said opening so as to provide a substantially continuous U-shaped sounding chamber throughout the length of the tap and over the toe and ball portions of the shoe.

CORRADO AGOSTA.

FRANK NOTARANGELO. 

